A bankruptcy judge has approved a $2.46 billion reorganization plan proposed by the Boy Scouts of America.

The Chief Cornplanter Council has already paid its portion of that plan.

According to the Associated Press, the decision was made Thursday and marks an important step for BSA.

The organization filed for bankruptcy protection more than two years ago “to stave off a flood of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by Scout leaders and volunteers.

The plan would allow BSA to continue operating “while compensating tens of thousands of men who say they were sexually abused as children while involved in Scouting,” according to the Associated Press.

“Each council made a voluntary contribution into the trust being set up,” Chief Cornplanter Council Scout Executive and CEO Raymond Tennent said Friday. “Ours was from a portion of timbering proceeds.”

Last year, Tennent said the council had paid $260,931.32 into the trust. The formula for that amount was determined by an ad hoc committee of volunteer lawyers from local councils.

At that time, he said, “Although our council has one of the smallest payments amounts required for the Abused Victims Trust, this is still a substantial amount for a council our size.”

The Boy Scouts owns two properties in Warren County, according to Warren County assessment data. Together, those properties represent 490 acres and a market value of about $160,000.

The Chief Cornplanter Council is listed as the owner of the council headquarters at 316 Fourth Ave., Warren, with a value of $36,204.

By liquidating some of the assets growing on those lands, the council will not have to liquidate any properties.

More than 80,000 men have filed claims saying they were abused as children by troop leaders around the country.

Most of the $2.46 billion is to be paid to survivors, but some funds would be set aside in a trust to continue litigation against entities that have not settled, mainly insurance companies.

It will likely take months for any of the abuse claimants to receive compensation.

“We continue to be enormously grateful to the survivor community, whose bravery, patience, and willingness to share their experiences has been instrumental in the formation of this Plan,” the organization said in a statement.

The Boy Scouts said the perspectives and priorities of the survivors “will be ingrained in the BSA’s programming moving forward.” The BSA also said that because certain parties have said they plan to appeal the order, the organization will next begin an appeal process in order to emerge from Chapter 11, “which will allow survivors to be equitably compensated and preserve the mission of Scouting for future generations.”

A federal district judge must sign off on the ruling.

When it filed for bankruptcy, the BSA faced about 275 filed lawsuits and was aware of numerous other potential cases. More than 80,000 abuse claims were eventually filed as part of the bankruptcy.